Kawartha Fall Festival offers fun for the whole family

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 – The first-ever Kawartha Fall Festival will offer a week of free events for the whole family, kicking off on Saturday, October 1 and running through Monday, October 10 at Ken Reid Conservation Area.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this wonderful event to our entire community and visitors,” said Director of Stewardship and Conservation Lands, Kristie Virgoe. “Autumn is such a beautiful time to visit our conservation areas and spend time in nature and we thought this would be a great way to celebrate the season with everyone.”

This new, free family event will feature a week of family-friendly activities, special guests, up-close animal encounters, birds of prey demonstrations, guided hikes, and more.

And the best part, the Kawartha Fall Festival is free for everyone, though some events will require pre-registration.

“Some events will require registration as space is limited to ensure an intimate and interactive experience for visitors and participants,” explained Events and Community Support Rebecca Pomeroy. “For example, our Watershed Resources Technician Rob Stavinga will be leading two Waterfowl Birding hikes that will require individuals and families to register in advance.”

As they are confirmed, events are being added to the Kawartha Conservation calendar and festivals page at www.kawarthaconservation.com/festivals. But so far, visitors can expect a wide variety of activities including Jake Charles from First Nation's Cultural Tours, the Peterborough Astronomical Association who will bring their telescopes to Ken Reid Conservation to explore the night sky, a Birds of Prey demonstration by Royal Canadian Falconry, forest bathing, guided birding hikes and more.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming Jake Charles, who will lead visitors in a 'cultural show and tell' circle,” explained Virgoe. “Visitors will be able to gather around a campfire, learn about the importance of the Drum, shakers, traditional clothing, and other crafts.

“Jake will also lead visitors in some traditional songs,” Virgoe continued. “This is an interactive show designed to build understanding between cultures.”  

On Sunday, October 2, Royal Canadian Falconry will be on hand for an educational, informative and entertaining 90 minute Birds of Prey demonstration, beginning at 12 noon.

The Birds of Prey demonstration will include a variety of birds of prey as well as in-flight demonstrations.

“We have always had such a positive response and amazing feedback to our signature Christmas at Ken Reid event, which is also making its return this year on Saturday, December 3, but we really wanted to create another seasonal event that would not only attract new visitors to Ken Reid Conservation Area, but create a regional destination that the entire Kawartha Lakes community will benefit from,” explained Virgoe. “Kawartha Lakes has so much to offer visitors from the beautiful quaint towns and villages, shopping and dining experiences, and the amazing fall road driving tours.

“The Kawartha Fall Festival helps to support all of the best our communities have to offer and we’re excited to be able to create this free festival to attract visitors to our area and highlight the best of the region,” Virgoe added.

There is no cost for any of the events or activities (though some require registration as some events have a maximum number of participants).

Throughout the week-long festival, Kawartha Conservation staff and volunteers will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Kawartha Lakes Food Source.

“If you're planning on attending the Kawartha Fall Festival, we certainly appreciate any non-perishable food item donations to help support others in our community,” said Pomeroy. “The Kawartha Lakes Food Source plays an incredibly important role in our community and we’re proud to be able to help support and give back to them through the Kawartha Fall Festival.”

To learn more about the Kawartha Fall Festival or receive updates as events are added, go to www.kawarthaconservation.com/festivals and select ‘Subscribe to this page’ on the right hand side.